Starting In November, It’ll Be More Difficult To Get Out Of Jury Duty In Maine

Part of your civic duty as an American citizen is to serve on a jury if called on to do so. For decades now, working professionals in Maine have been able to use their jobs as a key reason to NOT serve on a jury. Doctors, nurses, and certain other professions have been exempted from jury duty due to the importance of their work. Starting in November, those exemptions will no longer exist.

According to the Bangor Daily News, a new law was signed into place by Governor Paul LePage in June that removes the exemptions from law. Everyone who lives in Maine that fits the qualifications to serve on a jury can now be summoned for jury duty. Whether you're a doctor or a sheriff, a teacher or a dentist, you are now eligible to serve without any promise of an exemption. The only exemptions that will remain are for active duty military members who reside in Maine, as well as the Governor.

Before you start banking vacation time, just in case, remember that even if you're called on for jury duty, you could still be excused by the court for a variety of reasons. In fact, 38,000 Maine residents were summoned last year to serve, but less than 10% of those people actually did.